Cyborg Tears
by Lazeralk
Summary: Yuya has a secret, and because of it Kyo could never return her love. Could he? KyoYuyaAkira, YukimuraSaizo
1. Left Behind

Cyborg Tears

Samurai Deeper Kyo/Twin Signal

By: Lazeralk

Standard disclaimers apply

Part 1

Author's note: I wrote this mostly because I really like Yuya and I'm sick of her looking like a total pansy next to all the kick ass fighters like Kyo and Yukimura. So I gave Yuya a stat boost and a dark secret, I get a kick ass Yuya and you get romantic angst, nice eh? I found out her brother's name so I'm changing it.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

There was so much dust on the road, so much. It shouldn't have bothered her but it did. She was so lost in a world dramatically different from her own. Was she dead? Could robots die?

She smirked bitterly, wrapping her arms around her small frame. Her spandex leotard had holes in it, and the leather of her thigh holsters was beginning to chafe. How long had she been out here? It seemed like months. She was so hungry, she may have been created but even the latest bio-mech designs like her needed to eat.

She brushed a stand of her long blonde hair out her eyes, it was getting annoying. The road she was on never seemed to end, how far had she walked? Forty-nine point two seven miles, according to her CPU.

"Child?" said the voice of an old woman, a large box strapped to her frail back.

"Child, could you help me?" said the woman.

She blinked, unsure of how to respond. She scowled at herself; it wasn't as if she had anyplace to go. She didn't even know where she was. This certainly wasn't the Otoi Robot Lab.

"Sure, obaba, what do you need?"

"Can you carry this for me, just back to my house? These old bones are starting to protest my trips to the market."

"Of course obaba, it's no problem." She said. She took the large box and found that the weight was almost nothing to her superhuman body. She hoisted it onto her back and smiled at the woman.

"It's this way, dear."

She followed the old woman down the road, their progress very slow.

"Tell me child, why are walking around in that strange thing?" asked the woman, eyeing the tattered leotard.

"It's all I have." The girl replied.

"Well, we'll fix that. I don't have any daughters, just a son, Nozomu. I always wanted a girl to pass on my art to. I make kimonos you see. It would have been good to have a daughter after Nozomu was born, but my husband died. I always wanted a girl. Do you have any family child?"

"Yes, and no. I have two brothers, Pulse and Signal. And Professor Otoi is like my father, but I've lost them or perhaps they've lost me. I don't know. I can't find them." She answered quietly.

"Tell me your name girl."

"It's A-U Ultra, but little Nobuhiko said that was a bad name for a girl. He called me Yuya."

Yuya awoke abruptly, a slender hand pressed to her forehead. That dream, she hadn't had that dream in years. It was so long ago, yet she hadn't aged a day. She'd gone to live with the old woman and her son, watching as he grew. The old woman passed away and she and Nozomu became brother and sister.

They lived together for years, so happy, so peaceful. She almost didn't miss the life she'd left behind. And then he was gone, murdered on a whim.

Revenge became her purpose; she traded her own neo-tech guns for an ancient three-chambered revolver to remain inconspicuous. Then she'd begun her hunt, and now she was here.

Sitting on a futon somewhere in ancient Japan, traveling with a moody, angry, devilish, handsome, annoying, sexy killer. Signal would so be laughing at her. Come to think of it, so would Ontario.

She stood up, smoothing her kimono. Kyo was leaning against a tree; Benitora was completely out of it, sprawled on his back and snoring loudly on the floor beside her. They'd found a small abandoned shrine with a dusty futon stuck in one of the corners. Benitora had insisted that she sleep on it. Kyo hadn't said anything.

She watched him sleep, he was so handsome. But he was so cold and cruel too. Still, he protected her when she needed it, and for that she loved him. He'd never love her, not in a million years, not if he ever found out what she was. What man could love a machine?

She scoffed, running a hand through her bangs as she shifted to sit in a more comfortable position. It wasn't as if he was the cuddly type anyway, she didn't think he'd ever see her as more than a minor amusement at best. She sighed and stood up, stretching her legs and the MIRA neuro-fiber mech cables inside.

She was only half human, her head and torso had been saved from a vicious car crash that had severed her legs and damaged both her arms so badly that they had to be amputated. Professor Otoi had asked her if she would be his test subject, and said that if the test was successful she would have a full body again.

She agreed and was moved to his home and lab in the wilds of Japan. The crash had damaged most of her ribs and the doctor had replaced them with MIRA plating. She had artificial limbs with a layer of artificial skin and sensors. Professor Otoi had made her his perfect combat model, integrating the sensory organs of a shark into her biotech system.

A perfect killer. She almost laughed at the thought. Here she was playing the innocent human, traveling in the company of a true monster and she was supposed to be the perfect killer. She didn't like killing, it just wasn't right. Only in self-defense would she kill, or in the defense of others.

"What's wrong Yuya-han?" asked Benitora softly; she hadn't noticed that he'd woken up. Her body had, the chip implanted in her brain had, but she had turned off her combat program, so it didn't alert her to such things.

"Nothings wrong, I just." She cut herself off; she didn't want to have to explain.

"Just what?" he pressed, moving up beside her and resting his hands on her shoulders. He didn't notice where the flesh and bone stopped and metal began.

"I miss my family." She whispered, leaning her head to rest on his shoulder, as she'd done so many times with Pulse when she read to him, or had him read to her in a vain attempt to improve his eyesight.

Benitora, pleased beyond all doubt, slipped an arm around her waist. He leaned around her, moving his lips towards hers.

"Let's get moving." Barked Kyo, shattering the moment. Benitora jumped away from her, and Yuya growled under her breath at him.

"Benitora, you pervert."

"Hey, you can't blame a guy can ya?" asked Benitora sheepishly, one arm behind his head.

"Sure I can. Woman's prerogative." She answered hotly; folding the futon neatly and putting it back in the corner.

"Enough." Said Kyo, turning and walking down the path.

Yuya sighed at his abruptness and moved to follow him, Benitora falling into step behind her. She switched on her combat program, just the first level of sensory input. She had to use it every day just incase she had to activate it for a real fight. She couldn't afford to hesitate if she wasn't ready for the impact of the heightened senses.

The world just came alive suddenly as if she'd been walking around with a thick blanket over her head all her life and now it had been removed. Her eyes caught every movement; her ears heard every sound from the rustling of the grass to the birds in the trees. Her lateral line, a sensory organ taken from a shark, picked up the vibrations in the air caused by large things moving. She could literally feel the two men walking beside her.

She could smell Kyo's musky scent from where she walked, and Benitora's own strange smell. From what she knew of him, the red tiger was an adventure- seeking ruffian and sometimes mercenary, it didn't make sense that he smelled like fine tea and rice paper.

She glanced at him, watching him coyly from under her lashes, he grinned widely when he noticed her look and she felt his heart speed up. The aoL, ampullae of Lorenzini, was composed of tiny gel filled capsules under her skin that detected electrical discharges, such as the beating of an organisms heart or the power generator of any mech. All sharks had them. She smiled ruefully at the thought; she supposed she was something of a shark.

Kyo led them aimlessly for all she could tell, but she followed. Why, she didn't know. Just how had she become so entangled in this crazy adventure to find Kyo's body? Why did she care what body he had? Wasn't her purpose to find the man who'd killed her brother? It was, she'd find the man with the crossed-shape scar on his back and she'd put a bullet in his brain. Why was she even traveling with these people?

Kyo, for protection, even though she didn't really need it. Benitora had just shown up one day and decided to tag along. Even so, he had his skills and somehow possessed a vast political knowledge. That was useful, and sometimes Yukimura-san and Sasuke joined them and they were useful. She wasn't. She didn't do anything except maybe pay for their lodgings and sake every now and then.

She was just there and occasionally her hot headedness got the better of her and people tried to kill her, then Kyo had to come save her and insult her again.

-Face it Yuya, you're completely useless to them. You just weigh them down. You should give up and go home. –

Home. Right, some little hovel in the countryside somewhere with lots of mud. Mud was bad for her circuits so thank you, no. She didn't think she'd ever find the Otoi's again, what if she ended up malfunctioning like Erala had after no maintenance for a few years? Would she go crazy and not be able to do anything properly without having to be completely re-programmed? Could her brain function without a computer anymore? She didn't know, she never seemed to know anything these days. Besides, Kyo said the man with the cross on his back was actually Kyoshiro. The second time she'd seen him, she knew that fighting him and winning without revealing her true nature would be impossible.

She frowned and smoothed the skirt of her kimono. She was wearing her white leotard underneath, even though it was patched and dirty. It was the last piece of her old identity she had left besides her guns. She had twin Neoblazers, state of the art pistols that had automatic firing capability and a laser option. She hadn't fired a single shot since she'd arrived here in this strange pre-tech world full of clashing swords and psychic powers. Her clips were all full. The guns were tucked away in compartments in the hollowed out portions of her thighs, the clips were further down, the leather holsters were dismantled and shoved in with the guns.

She hated all this walking. Where were they going anyway? It all looked like the same damn trees to her. The sun had just reached its peak, had she been that lost in thought that she didn't notice? She checked her internal clock, the time had passed, but she'd somehow detached from her combat program. It was one of the imperfections of being a cyborg. A true android would have never had that problem.

"Is it time to eat yet Kyo-han?" whined Benitora, his stomach growling loudly.

"I'm hungry too." She said, touching her abdomen.

Kyo sighed but stopped walking and leaned against a tree. Benitora smiled happily and plopped down on the ground, pulling a small bag from inside his shirt. He gave one of the thin crackers inside to Yuya before munching on one himself. He offered the bag to Kyo, but the legendary slayer of one thousand men just snarled at him. Yuya ate quietly, staring at her hands.

"Let's go." Grumbled Kyo as he pushed himself off the tree and started walking again. He didn't even bother to look back and see if they were following or not. Yuya sighed and started off after him, her eyes downcast.

"Stop right there." Hissed a voice from the trees. A hideous kenyo dropped out of the branches in front of them and flashed fangs.

"I control these woods and if you want to pass you have to pay the price." The beast snarled.

"Get out of my way you pathetic excuse of a failed science project." Growled Kyo, not even bothering to take stance or draw his sword.

Yuya pulled her revolver out, but the caliber was so terrible on the damn thing that she didn't think it would do any good. Still, she was an excellent shot and something was better than nothing.

"You dare defy me worm!" roared the monster as he shot barbs from his mouth. Kyo calmly avoided each, drawing his sword and glaring at the fool that dared to oppose him.

"Well, he's a gonner." Commented Benitora from the sidelines.

"Yeah." Said Yuya, fishing in her obi for more of the archaic pellet bullets, trusting Kyo to keep her from harm.

"Will you shut up and die already?" asked Kyo as he carelessly batted a barb away with his sword.

"Die fool!" the kenyo growled launching yet another volley, this time from both hands as well as his mouth. Kyo dodged this way and that, knocking the projectiles aside as he focused on getting within striking range. This creep wasn't worthy of hearing the voice of the wind.

Yuya looked up just in time to watch Kyo's strike fall, cleaving his enemy in half with one graceful stroke. She didn't notice the single barb flying towards her at ground level until it was too late.

"Ow!" she cried as the needle sunk into her flesh and she fell heavily to the ground.

"Yuya-han! Are you ok? What happened?" asked Benitora frantically as he hovered at her side.

"My ankle..." she said, pulling the spine out. The tip dripped with red coolant fluid, which the others perceived as blood, and something clear and sticky.

"Poison." Whispered Benitora fearfully.

Yuya frowned, poison at this level wasn't a problem, there was nothing but neuro-cables and metal framework inside her legs. What bothered her was that Kyo hadn't protected her. Logically she knew it wasn't his fault, he couldn't possibly see every threat and even if he could she didn't mean anything to him so why would he bother? Still, he'd always protected her before.

Maybe he wanted her to die; maybe that's why he didn't protect her this time. Maybe this was his was of telling her to take a hike. Maybe...

"You guys keep going. I'll...catch up with you later." She lied, getting to her feet and heading back the way they'd come.

"Yuya-han? Where are you going? You shouldn't walk on that foot! Yuya-han!"

Yuya ignored Benitora and kept walking, consumed by her sadness. Where for art thou Kyo? Where for art I Yuya? If only they weren't the people they were. Would he care then?

"Where do you think you're going woman?"

Yuya stopped dead in her tracks. Kyo could do that to her. He filled her with joy just to hear his voice, but she feared what he might say. She feared him.

"Back to the town. Maybe...there's an herbalist there who can...cure me." She lied again. She wasn't going to the town. She wasn't coming back either. She wondered briefly if she cried, would it be water that flowed from her eyes, or would it be oil?

"Go then. We don't have time for your petty problems anyway." Snarled Kyo as he stalked away in to the forest. Benitora looked between the two of them, torn.

"Go with him Benitora. Keep him safe." She whispered, not daring to show her face for fear of her tears, her cyborg tears that might betray her.

"Yuya-han...I..."

"Go Benitora. Please." Yuya started walking again, not looking back.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

End Part 1


	2. Reunited

Cyborg Tears

Samurai Deeper Kyo/Twin Signal crossover

By: Lazeralk

Standard disclaimers apply

Part 2

Author's Notes: This story is AU (Alternate Universe), which is sort of ironic because Yuya's code name is A-U Ultra. The time line I'm using for this story is that Yuya is from the future and accidentally got thrown into the past. So if Yuya uses phrases and sayings that don't fit with the time period then that's why. Thanks for the reviews, I love you guys! Laz

Kyoshiro Mibu, inside what was Kyo's head at the moment, was expressing his disappointment in his counterpart.

-You should go back for her. – he counseled his rival.

-What are you, my conscience? Get lost! –

-What is she gets hurt Kyo? –

-Don't be so familiar with me! And I don't care about the wench. –

-It's not like you have a last name Oni-meno Kyo, and if you did, it would be Mibu and we'd be brothers. -

Kyo shuddered at the thought, and concentrated on walking. He'd cut out his tongue and swallow it before he turned back for some girl. His objective was to find and repossess his own body, nothing else, no one else.

-Objective's change when you see the value of things from different points of view. –

-Will you shut up? –

Kyoshiro sighed but kept his mouth shut as Kyo walked along the endless path.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Yuya, a brush in her mouth, was looking over her account book. According to her records she only had thirty ryu left from the last bounty she's brought in. She'd need more if she was going to travel all the way back home. Wait, she'd spent seven ryu on that bottle of sake for Yukimura so she only had twenty- three ryu left. That was hardly enough for a bad room at an inn.

She sighed and marked the sake down in the book with her brush. She let the ink dry before shutting the book and flipping through her arrest warrants. There was a small time gang in the area that was lighting people's houses on fire. They were worth sixty ryu a piece, seventy for the leader. The leader was a man called Kosaru. Yuya almost laughed but decided against it. Looks like she'd be hunting tonight, and she didn't have Kyo or Benitora to fight for her so she'd use one of her Neoblazer's.

"You're on your own again Yuya, time to pull out the stops." She told herself as she made her way towards the center of the town.

"I don't like this Kyo-han. It doesn't feel right with out Yuya-han." Whined Benitora, his shoulders drooped.

"Will you stop complaining? You don't have to come with me you know." Growled Kyo over his shoulder.

"Yeah I do. Yuya-han asked me too. My poor sweet Yuya-han!"

"Shut up."

Kyo sighed, why was everyone so worried about her anyway? She was just some silly little girl that couldn't defend herself. She had spirit though, he had to give her that. He remembered the fire in her eyes when she'd told him about her brother's murder. She'd been so scared, so terrified for her life, but still so brave. She'd vowed over and over to find her brother's killer, a man with a cross-shaped scar on his back. A man who resided inside of him.

She was beautiful, yes but so was Okuni and no one whined when she left. What was so special about his useless servant anyway? All she did was get in trouble and sometimes pay for the sake.

Kyo stopped abruptly. Damnit, he was out of sake. He'd have to go back and get some.

"C'mon." he said, turning and heading in the other direction. He wasn't going back for her, he was going back for sake.

-Sake? The best you could do is sake? –

-I told you to shut up. –

"Huh? Are we going back for?"

"Sake."

"Sake? You're gong back to the town for sake?"

"Yeah, got a problem with it?"

"No! Not at all Kyo-han! Why would I have a problem with that?" answered Benitora quickly.

Kyo glared at him anyway and pushed his way through the trees.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Yuya held her Neoblazer, silenced of course, in a teacup grip as she rounded the corner. The gang she'd been tracking was holding a meeting in an old shrine. She peered into the crack in the door, listening to their conversation. Her combat program was set to level two, which let her detect the presence of others up to sixty feet away and gave her programming twenty percent control over her body, heightening her skill, physical statistics and reflexes by twenty percent.

There were nine people inside the shrine and two outside. The two guards were armed with swords and clubs, but they were both highly nervous. She could smell their sweat from her post behind them at the entrance.

"I say it's about time we take out that guy Haruma. You know the one, the guy that keeps complaining to the landlord about us?"

"Yeah. We should, what ya think boss?"

"That's fine, do whatever you want, but make sure you take out that bounty hunter that the innkeeper Fujimoto told us about. I don't want her getting any ideas understand?"

"Yeah sure boss. No problem. When we movin' out?"

"As soon as one of you idiots get Kuro and Eiji from outside."

Yuya frowned and turned, there wasn't enough time to do this the way she wanted to, she'd have to take out the guards early. She sighted down her arm and shot both of them in the legs. Their screams alerted the men inside, who came crashing out the door in time to see a blonde ponytail disappear behind the wall. They roared in fury and gave chase, their swords drawn.

"Bring her back alive!" screamed Kosaru to his men, waving his sword around frantically.

One by one the men rounded the corner but found nothing. One of the men fell to the ground, blood oozing from his shoulder.

"The roof! She's on the roof!" they cried, but Yuya was already off the roof and on the other side of the building, coming up behind them. She sighted again and fired two shots of rapid succession, taking two more down. Six more to go, she thought, leaping back up to the roof in a single bound. She lay on her stomach on the roof and took out another two from the back, keeping the illusion that she was right behind them.

The remaining four men stopped running in circles and held their ground, backs pressed together as they waited for their phantom hunter. Yuya jumped off the roof and stood ten feet away from the first man. She raised her gun and shot him in the leg, intending only to injure them and turn them over to the authorities. He screamed and dropped his sword as he went down, and two of the ones left charged her, screaming their battle cries.

Two more shots and they were down for the count and only Kosaru was left standing, gnashing his teeth at her.

"You stupid bitch! I'll teach you bounty hunters to mess with my gang, die!" he roared, leveling his sword and preparing to thrust it into her chest. Yuya smiled and waited until the last possible second before jumping into the air, flipping over his head, firing a single shot into the back of his shin and landing gracefully on her feet.

"Well that was easy." She said, lifting the hem of her kimono and watching as lines cut their way across her skin and her leg opened up to reveal a hollow cavity large enough to store her gun. She re-holstered the Neoblazer and mentally told her CPU to close her leg back up. When her skin was sealed again and there was no trace that she was anything but human she dropped her kimono and started dragging each of the fallen men towards the center of the shrine's courtyard. Now she needed to find some rope.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Kyo dropped a few coins in the hand of the shopkeeper and uncorked his new bottle of sake. Since he was in town, he might as well get a room for the night. There was no sense in sleeping on the ground when he didn't have to.

-Right. –

-Go to hell Mibu. –

"Kyo-han! Kyo-han!" cried Benitora as he scrambled into the shop and skidded to a stop in front of his friend. The smile on his face stretched from ear to ear.

"What?"

"I found her! She turned in a big bounty last night and she's staying at the inn across the street! C'mon, let's go see how she's doing. I hope the poison has been cured by now. Ne, Kyo-han, let's go!"

Kyo grumbled to himself and gulped sake as he was dragged by the front of his kimono out of the store and across the street. Upon reaching the door he yanked his shirt back and opened the door himself.

"There's a bounty hunter named Yuya here, where is she?" he demanded of the innkeeper.

"You aren't here to harass the little lady are ya? She brought in those thugs that were burning the houses down and now she's a hero in this town. Don't go making trouble for her ya hear?" snipped the innkeeper, a stout woman with graying hair and a commanding presence.

"Yes ma'am, we're friends of Yuya-han and we wanted to come see her." Said Benitora smoothly, trying to make up for Kyo's rude demand.

"Well then, go on up. The missy is in room twelve."

"Thank you ma'am."

Kyo ignored the pleasantries and stalked up the stairs, he didn't even knock on the door, just slid it open to find Yuya counting money and making notes in her account book.

"Kyo?" she asked looking up at him.

"Your ankle?"

"It's fine now. I thought you guys were still in the forest."

"I ran out of sake."

"Oh."

Yuya made a final mark in her book while Kyo picked a spot on the floor to sit down, sword propped against his shoulder. She set the book aside to dry and busied herself with the ink and brush.

Why was he here? Did he come back for her? Did he want her around after all? Yuya smiled at the thought and finished quickly with her work. She turned back to Kyo and scooted closer to him.

"I ordered some food, if you want some." She said, taking the tie out of her hair and running a brush through it.

Kyo glanced at her and was momentarily frozen. He'd never seen her with her hair down before. He swallowed and forced himself to concentrate on the floor in front of him.

"That's fine." He muttered, he was a little hungry anyway. If she wanted to pay for the food that was fine with him.

"YUYA-HAN!"

"Hi Benitora." Said Yuya as she got to her feet and retied her hair before throwing her arms around her friend and laughing at his fake tears.

"Oh, my sweet Yuya-han! I was so worried about you!" he wailed. Yuya smiled gently at him, it was nice to have friends that cared about her so much.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

End Part 2


	3. Ruby Forgiveness

Cyborg Tears

Samurai Deeper Kyo/Twin Signal crossover

By: Lazeralk

Standard disclaimers apply

Part 3

To My reviewers, thanks for everything! You have made this author happy nyah! So let's take a vote, more romance or more action? What'da'ya think? Here's the next chapter!

Yukimura Sanada, half empty sake jug hanging from around his wrist, was happily making his way towards the inn where Yuya Shina was staying. Saizo was on the roof above him and Sasuke was waiting just around the corner of the shop ahead of him.

He smiled briefly at them before sliding the door to the inn open.

"Good morning! I'm a friend of Yuya-san's, can you please tell me which room she's in?" he asked the old innkeeper politely.

"Room twelve, and don't you be making a mess up there, she's already got two young men with her you know."

"Really now, must be Kyo and Benitora. Thank you."

He made his way up the stairs, his feet silent on the wood. Some things would never change; he'd be a ninja until the day he died. He was hoping that Kyo would be with her, he needed for Kyo to keep trying to find his body. One day, he'd hold a true Muramasa in his hands and be able to call it his own. Sasuke had one, Hidetada had one, Kyo had one and Migeria had one. The last one was in the possession of the Mibu clan; he had to manipulate events so that it wouldn't look suspicious if he tired to join them in order to obtain it. He'd need proof too; perhaps Saizo would be willing to help.

He slid the door open to find Yuya and Hidetada eating lunch and Kyo sitting in the corner drinking sake. He had to convince Kyo that his body had been moved to Mibu castle.

"Kyo. Good to see you again." He started.

Kyo glared and drank some more.

"I found out where your body is."

"Where?"

"Mibu castle."

"Fine."

Yukimura kept his smile firmly in place, hoping that Kyo would buy it and head there. He didn't know where Kyo's body was; he just needed for him to start traveling in that direction.

"Well then, I'm off. Good luck with your search Kyo, and Sakuya sends her regards."

"Hn."

"If you say so, but I don't think she'd like that very much."

"I thought you were leaving."

Yukimura laughed a little and headed out the door, his smile never faltering. Sasuke and Saizo met him at the inn steps and they disappeared into the crowd.

"That Yukimura sure is a strange one." Commented Benitora as he plopped down next to Yuya.

"I think he's very elegant." Said Yuya, staring off into the space the okashira had just occupied.

"He's a manipulative bastard. Stay away from him." Growled Kyo, a surge of jealousy hitting him unexpectedly. She thought Sanada was elegant? What about him? What did she think of him, not that he cared of course, but it would be interesting to know.

"So then, are we headed towards Mibu castle now?" asked Benitora, sensing the tension in Kyo and wanting to break it.

"Yeah. Why not? We can take out the rest of the Junishinsho on the way." Said Kyo, taking another gulp of sake.

"Well, I'm going shopping while we're here. We'll need some supplies to go back on the road." Yuya said as she stood and brushed off her kimono.

"You two guys stay here and try not to get in any fights ok?"

"Whatever."

Yuya frowned at him and turned to walk away. Just as she reached the door, Kyo's hand shot out and gripped her wrist.

"Yes Kyo?" she asked, her voice shaky from a mixture of emotions she couldn't name.

"Get some more sake." He told her, his expression very serious.

"Uh...right." She said, pulling her hand back and quickly exiting the room.

Kyo sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. He had upset her. So? Why should he care? He didn't know, he just did. He didn't want to apologize, but he didn't want her to be upset with him either. He'd have to do something or get her something to make up for it, something subtle so that the others wouldn't think anything of it, but the meaning would be clear to her.

He ran a hand through his bangs and stood up, sliding his sword into the sash of his kimono.

"Stay here, I'm going out." He told Benitora in a voice that sent the other man back towards the wall.

"Ok, what ever you say Kyo-han!" cried the red tiger, hands held up in a gesture of surrender.

Kyo growled and stalked out the door, his glare chasing away anyone who thought to stop him for a chat. He crept down to the market and searched the shops for something suitable.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Yuya was breathing hard by the time she reached the town's row of shops. She'd run all the way from the inn, scared out of her wits. Kyo had acted so strangely that she wasn't sure what was going through his head. Had he found out her secret? No, he hadn't reacted at all, just been his normal crabby self and dismissed her like dirt again.

But then he'd stopped her, touched her. He'd actually touched her of his own free will. True, it was only to tell her to pick up some sake, but still! It was unexpected and, well, wonderful. She had quite a bit of spending money now that she'd collected on the bounty of the men she'd shot last night. None of them were killed, but most of them wouldn't be walking for a long time, if ever. She felt a little guilty about that, however, if they hadn't been burning people's houses down they wouldn't have had a bounty on their heads.

Yuya tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she passed a jewelry shop and paused to look at a beautiful ruby pendant. The red reminded her of Kyo's eyes. She picked it up and watched the small gem reflect the light as it twirled on the thin silver chain.

"You like it missy?" asked the shopkeeper, leering at her.

"Yes, but not today I'm afraid. Thank you." She replied, gently placing the pendant back on the shelf. She gave it one last sad glance before she headed to the general store for sake. She bought two jugs for Kyo and one for Benitora, a bag of dried meat strips and salted squid.

Done with her shopping, she wrapped everything in a large handkerchief and began walking back towards the inn.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

-How did you pay for that? –

-With money you fool. –

-How did you get money? The Mibu clan wasn't supplying you. –

-I killed and ransacked for a few years and acquired my own funds. Akira and Hotaru helped of course. –

-You killed people and stole their money. –

-If you want to put it that way. –

-You are a horrible person Kyo. –

-Yeah, so? –

"I'm back!" called Yuya as she slid the door to room twelve open. She put both bottles of sake next to Kyo and the one for Benitora on the table.

"Hey Yuya-han! It was painful sitting here all by my self, what took you so long?"

"I wasn't gone that long, and I only got a few things. This one is yours Benitora." She told him with a smile.

Kyo glared at the other man as he happily chatted with his woman and moved closer than was polite to her. He'd have to kill him later.

"I got some food for the road, so we can leave at any time. Benitora, do you still have that cask of water?"

"Yeah, but it's empty." Said Benitora, pulling a hollowed out stick of bamboo with a cork stopper from his shirt.

"Here, I'll fill it up before we leave."

"Sure."

"Meet us downstairs." Said Kyo, wrapping the sake jug strings around his hands. He stood up and ushered Benitora out the door.

"Ok." Said Yuya, taking the cask downstairs to be filled. There was half a bucket of clear water from the well sitting on the lip so she filled it and went back upstairs to get the rest of her supplies.

The room was empty accept for her traveling pouch of food and sheet of paper with her name on it. She picked it up and flipped it over, but it was blank on the back with just her name in neat hiragana on the front. Underneath the paper, sitting in a pool of sunshine was the same ruby pendant she'd looked at earlier.

She gasped as she picked it up and held the delicate chain in her fingers. Who had...? It had to have been Kyo. Benitora said that he'd been sitting by himself in the room waiting for her to come back. But why would Kyo give her such a beautiful gift? She'd seen the price tag on the necklace too, and it wasn't cheap.

She'd been annoyed with him that morning, perhaps this was an apology? She smiled softly as she recalled his touching her, maybe he thought he'd scared her and wanted to make up for it.

She unhooked the chain and reclasped it around her neck; she touched the small charm and let it hang outside her kimono. Smiling happily to herself, she clutched the handkerchief to her chest and ran out of the room and down the stairs.

"Kyo! Benitora! Wait for me!" she called as she saw them walking down the road. She caught up with them and smiled brightly at Kyo, moving the food parcel so he could see the ruby glinting in the sunlight.

He smirked rakishly and kept walking.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

End part 3


	4. Plotting Jealousy

Cyborg Tears

Samurai Deeper Kyo/Twin Signal crossover

By: Lazeralk

Standard disclaimers apply

Authors note: This is where I say screw the original time line and just start making things up. Hope you don't mind. Kyo/Yuya, Yukimura/Saizo…later.

Part 4

Kyo was getting sick of trees. He wondered if it was worth the effort to just start hacking them all down as he went. At least he'd know if he were going in circles or not. The wench was almost annoyingly chipper. Maybe giving her that trinket wasn't such a good idea after all. She hadn't shut up for five minutes all day.

"Hey Benitora, look at that flower! Isn't it beautiful? At my old house, we use to have flowers all the time. Ontario would bring them for Erala and I every day. Signal use to tease me about it, until Pulse threatened to beat him up for me. Then they would fight and it would take forever before someone had the sense to stop them."

"Woman!" Barked Kyo, turning and glaring.

"What?" asked Yuya irritably, turning to face him also.

"Shut up!"

Yuya flinched and glared at him, holding his gaze until she realized that he wasn't backing down. She dropped her eyes and pouted, moving closer to Benitora. Maybe he'd give her some sympathy.

Kyo growled and resumed his agitated pacing through the forest. They continued on until darkness fell, Benitora holding branches aside for Yuya while Kyo ignored them both.

He glanced backwards over his shoulder, watching as she smiled at him. He turned away quickly, not understanding the tightening in his gut. On a base level he saw that he was reacting like an animal whose mate was being sniffed by another male. He scowled at himself and dismissed the idea all together.

This was stupid. So he felt possessive of her, so what? She was his servant, and it was his right to know what she was doing and with whom. It didn't mean anything. It certainly didn't mean that he had any interest in her as a person, or even as a bed warmer for that matter. She looked freakishly like a foreigner with her golden hair and green eyes.

Few women in Japan had green eyes, fewer had gold hair and he was pretty sure she was the only one with _both_ bizarre features. By all rights she should have been horribly ugly. Hadn't someone told her she looked really weird yet? Didn't she know how different she was from other girls?

She _was_ very different, free spirited and outgoing. She had none of the poise and quiet grace of a good Japanese woman. She was loud, obnoxious, and she carried a weapon. No respectable woman carried a weapon. It just wasn't done.

Why did he like this girl again? Oh yeah, she had fire, sass, and a great body. She did what she was told, sometimes, and she paid for most of their traveling expenses. She was really beautiful when she smiled too, and she had really sexy legs, and the gold hair wasn't so bad. He half wanted to run his fingers through…whoa! What the hell?

Kyo, just stop it right now before you get involved with even more annoying drama. You do not need it, you hear me manslayer? Blood, death, chaos, destruction! Kyoshiro's head on a plate!

Yuya arched an eyebrow at Benitora, jerking a thumb in the direction of their Great and Fearless leader, who had stopped and was scowling at a tree and shaking his head. Benitora shrugged and wisely decided not to comment, as Kyo seemed to snap out of it. The demon-eyed samurai stepped around the offending greenery and led them through a tree line and into the rice fields of a moderately large town.

"Yes! A real bed for once. This is awesome Kyo-han. Let's go!" said Benitora.

Yuya almost shrieked with joy as she chased after him. Kyo scowled at them both before following a more sedate pace, not understanding the growing hatred he had for Hidetada Tokugawa.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Akira pondered past and future as he sat contentedly on the outside deck of his hotel room. Kyo and his rag tag gang of misfits were on their way to the town he'd been staking out for the last few days.

The past, he decided, was his goal. He wanted the old Kyo back, the one who had raised him, taught him and made him into the man he was today. Tokugawa wouldn't be a problem; the man had his own agenda and would step aside once his own goals came to light. The girl however, was truly the source of his worries.

His network of spies and his own heightened senses had informed him time and again that Kyo was actually protecting her. The entire notion was absurd. The Kyo of the past, HIS Kyo, would never do such a ridiculous thing. His mentor was quite a womanizer when he put his mind to it, and he'd do almost whatever he deemed necessary to ensure that he had pleasurable company for the night. When morning came, he left them to their fates without a backward glance and that's the way it was.

It never failed; Kyo was like clockwork in his own twisted way. This girl was different somehow. Naturally, he'd never actually seen her before, he was blind after all, but he'd heard from his spies that she was in fact quite ugly.

Why would Kyo even tolerate her being alive at all if that were the case? Kyo liked quiet women with long straight black hair and the grace of a high-class lady. It was just his type; he'd always gone after girls with those qualities. They reminded him of Sakuya, the one woman he'd ever really cared about. That relationship hadn't ended well, but attraction was attraction.

Akira shifted his position a little, his mind whirling through the various paths the future could take. If the girl died, how would Kyo react?

What if she didn't die, but was removed from the picture? How could that happen? If she fell in love with someone and left Kyo's side to be with him maybe? Perhaps…he didn't know her well enough to judge what sort of things would sway her path.

He'd have to study her a bit, see if he could get them to separate willingly. Then Kyo would be alone again and would no doubt return to his former lifestyle with Hotaru, Akari and himself.

He'd have to be accepted into their group somehow. He and Kyo had parted on somewhat shaky terms, so simply showing up to chat with an old mentor was out of the question. The girl was his weakness at this point, if he saved her life or something of that nature, surely they would accept him. Kyo would be in his debt and, hopefully, wouldn't kill him on sight.

Plan set firmly in his mind; he stood up and began to pull what strings he could to make his little experiment work. His spies would watch their every move. Some sort of generic danger had to be set up for the girl to fall into. He had to know everything, where they were staying, for how long, what they were doing, what kind of supplies they might need and whatnot.

A satisfied smirk crossed his lips before he turned towards the door and entered the darkness of his room.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Yuya pushed her bangs out of her face as she looked around their newly acquired hotel room. The inn had been a little on the expensive side and Kyo, the insensitive jerk, had not only insisted on it, he'd also made _her _pay for it. Bastard. She'd already marked down the total in her account book and was waiting for the ink to dry.

By her calculations, she still had enough money to last her through the next few days, but she checked her warrants anyway. A little extra money was never a bad thing. Besides, traveling with Kyo, who never paid for anything, could be more expensive than one would think.

She chewed on a lock a hair while she looked over the information spread out before her, twirling the charm of her new necklace between two fingers. There were three warrants out in the town they was staying in, two of them relatively small. The third was very tempting, but had been active for almost a year. No one besides Kyo himself had an active warrant for that long.

She'd have to ask around and see what the problem was. There were bounty hunters and ronin samurai everywhere; surely someone had come to challenge this criminal at one point or another. The two small warrants were both groups of four men; the larger was for only one man. Yuki Keisuke was worth three hundred ryu, dead or alive.

"Okay Yuya, time for a little footwork." She said to herself, spitting her hair out and putting her warrants in a neat stack. The one she was inquiring about was folded and tucked into her kimono sleeve.

Now all she had to do was sneak out without Kyo or Benitora noticing. She carefully slid open the door to her own room and peaked down the hall. It was empty and she gently edged her way out, trying to be as quiet as possible. Once she was all the way out, she glanced left and right again. The corridor hadn't changed since her last look and she turned around and began to ease the door shut again.

Just as it slid back into place, a burst of hot air tickled her ear.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

"AIEEEEEEE!"

Kyo gave the shrieking blonde figure a questioning glance and a raised eyebrow. He wondered what the wench was up to now.

"Um…Kyo. Ah…hi. I'm uh…well, you see. I mean, that is…I have to go out for a while so I'm going now ok, bye!"

With that, Yuya turned and raced down the hall, only to collide with something very solid a moment later.

Crimson eyes stared down at her as she laughed nervously.

"Where are you going wench?" Kyo demanded, arms crossed over his chest.

"Out. I told you that I'm going out."

"That's not good enough."

"I'm ah…meeting someone." Lied Yuya quietly, not looking at him.

Jealousy burned through Kyo as he looked down at the top of her golden head. No way in Hell was he letting the brat out of his sight now. He also wanted to know who _his_ servant was sneaking out to see.

They'd only been in town for about an hour and she'd been with him for most of that time. Had she prearranged a meeting with someone here? How long had her little love affair been going on? And more importantly, how the hell had he not noticed it until now?

"Fine, but don't stay out too late." He said, stepping aside and making up his mind to follow her.

"Uh, right. Ok, sure." Said Yuya, almost tripping over her feet to get to the end of the hall and down the stairs. Kyo waited for a few seconds before strolling after her.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Trap set firmly in place, Akira waited on a rooftop for the familiar presence of the girl to arrive. She was moving, her cheerful yellow aura bouncing down the street. He followed her with his minds eye, straining his sensitive hearing to catch her words.

"Do you know anything about this?" she asked of a shopkeeper selling paper goods.

"Oh that." Answered the older woman, probably well into her fifties by now.

Akira noted absently that she had a very pleasant voice.

"Yeah, that guys dangerous so you stay away from him girl. A right pretty little thing like you would just get gobbled up. Some special police or whatever tried to get him a few months back but that just ended in blood. Horrible shame, all those men had wives and kids waiting at home for 'em. Horrible shame."

"I see. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find him would you?"

Akira smirked silently to himself. So the girl was looking for trouble was she? He'd be more than happy to provide.

"Don't know for sure little one, and I don't like to be telling a cute thing like you about such dark places either mind you."

"How will I stay away from him if I don't know where to avoid?" reasoned the girl sweetly.

"Well, I guess you have a point there. You stay clear of old Plum Street, ya hear?"

"Yes ma'am." Said the girl.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to have any account books would you?"

"I sure do little missy. What kind are you looking for?" The shopkeeper seemed to brighten up as the thought of a sale.

"That leather one sure is nice." Said the girl.

"Oh yes, I'll give you a good bargain on that one too. Just thirty-five ryu."

"Thirty-five huh? Well, it's really nice and I need a new one…but I only have twenty-five ryu with me. Would that be ok?"

"Twenty-five will be just fine girl. You remind me of my daughter when she was young. You be careful now alright?"

"Yes, ma'am, thank you."

Akira moved silently with her as she walked down the street, her purchase tucked into her kimono. She stopped every once in a while to look at something, but otherwise continued towards the older side of town. Akira marked her position mentally and hopped off the roof. He met up with the men he'd hired and redirected them to Plum Street.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

End Part 4


	5. Contact

Cyborg Tears

Samurai Deeper Kyo/Twin Signal crossover

By: Lazeralk

Standard disclaimers apply

Aww…you guys just make me feel so warm and fuzzy and loved inside! Thank you so much for the reviews! The spacing of my paragraphs is a little weird so I'm trying something new. If it works I'll go back and change it in all my other chapters. The cyborg acronym thing was spiffy cool. I'll have to look into it, thanks! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, college and work and conspiring to kill me. Looky! I made scene break marks!

Part 5

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Migeria tightened his cloak around his shoulders as a cold draft struck his campsite. He gazed up at the sky with his mismatched eyes and felt a shudder of premonition pass through him. The future was changing again. The feelings of discord still pushed at his mind, screaming at him to fix the flow of time.

Demon Eyes Kyo and Kyoshiro Mibu had to be reunited or destroyed. Only then would time right itself. And yet, something in his Sight told him it was more than that. Far more.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Yukimura-sama? You wanted to see me?"

"Ah, yes, Saizo. Come in. Would you like some sake?"

"No Yukimura-sama, you shouldn't have too much either. It's not good for you."

"Still insisting that you're my wife are you?"

"I will be your wife if you'll listen to me Yukimura-sama."

Yukimura laughed softly, shaking his head.

"That won't be necessary Saizo. Though I do thank you for the offer. Listen, I'm going to infiltrate the Mibu clan and I need your help. You will help me won't you Saizo?"

"Yes Yukimura-sama. Just tell me what you want me to do."

"Good, good. Here's what's going to happen."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Plum Street was indeed old. The dirt had been hard packed from year upon year of use. Buildings lined the street on either side, their faces cracked and molded. The paper doors and windows had holes in them and had faded from white to a sickly gray.

A small group of burly looking men sat huddled around a Go board on the front porch of what looked to be an old rundown tavern. They hardly looked up as a petite figure approached them slowly.

"Excuse me." Said Yuya, playing on her sweet and innocent charm. The more they underestimated her the better.

"What?" asked one of the men, turning to face her with a dead look in his eyes. When he really got a good look at her, they brightened with a mixture of lustful and violent anticipation.

"Can you tell me where I can find this man?" said Yuya as she pulled the warrant from her sleeve. The men took a look at it and passed glances between them.

"Yeah girl. I know where you can find old Keisuke. You'll never get in to see him without an escort though, and I think you got what it takes to get one of those."

"Really?" Said Yuya, folding the paper back up and placing it back in her sleeve.

"That's a shame." She said turning around. A large dirt covered hand clamped down around her wrist as she made to leave.

"Hey, let go of me!" she cried.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Kyo snuck behind his little servant as she walked down the streets of town. Everywhere she went she drew the appreciative eyes of lustful men. If he'd had the time, he'd kill them all just for looking at her like that. It was the girl's own fault, with her exotic features and the short skirt of her kimono, that she attracted as much attention as she did.

Kyo's permanent frown deepened to an outright scowl as he noticed that she was heading into the bad side of town. Didn't she have any sense in that sun kissed head of hers?

-Sun kissed? I had no idea you were such a romantic poet Kyo. –

-Fuck off Mibu. –

-Very poetic indeed. –

-I told you go fuck off, that means shut up and pretend you don't exist. –

-You know what Kyo? I just now realized that I can say whatever I want to you and you can't do anything about it. I'm inside your head. You can't touch me. –

-You realized that just now? No wonder the Mibu clan is going to ruin. If they keep producing inbred morons like you, they'll just end up destroying themselves. -

He snorted mentally at his counterpart.

-And what is Sakuya? Your sister? –

-Take that back! –

-I know it's hard for that pea sized brain of yours to comprehend Mibu, but if you're inside my head and I can't touch you, that means that you can't touch me either. The sword cuts both ways idiot. –

-Wasn't that Yuya-san just now? –

Kyo whirled around a he sought out her voice. She was screaming and the sound was coming from just down the street. With one hand wrapped around the hilt of his Tenrou, he bolted down the alley just in time to see a sight he'd never have thought possible in his wildest dreams.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Akira moved as silently as a shadow as he focused all his acute senses on timing his entrance perfectly. The girl struggled futilely as he drew a single sword from one of the sheaths across his back. In a flash of cold steel, the men fell to the ground in a wash of blood. He had time to flick the red liquid from his sword, re-sheath it and catch the girl bridal style in his arms just before she hit the ground. He turned to speak to her, his body bent over hers, just as she opened her own mouth to speak. Soft, warm lips brushed his and sent a shiver down his spine. His first kiss.

He smirked to himself, thinking that this arrangement could prove beneficial to his plan.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Yuya had fought as valiantly as she could without turning her combat program up to level two. Just as she was about to step it up a notch, a cold wind struck her face. In half an instant she was sent flying from a powerful kick to her stomach and delicate snowflakes danced in her eyes. Strong arms wrapped around her body and she found herself in the gentle embrace of a handsome white haired man.

"Who are?"

"Are you?"

They spoke at the same time, their lips only barely brushing, just as Demon Eyes Kyo came skidding around the corner.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Saizo watched with a growing sense of dread as his beloved leader approached the main gate of the Mibu stronghold. He knew what he had to do, and he was ready and willing to give up his life for his lord. It was his duty as a ninja to serve and protect. Still, the thought of his Yukimura willing to even pretend to kill him was a little unsettling. Perhaps Kosuke was right, maybe Yukimura just wasn't right for him.

He'd go through with it, after all, he couldn't not go through with it. There was honor to consider before his own feelings.

He readied himself and then charged the door, shouting his lord's name. He watched as their perfectly choreographed performance sent him flying over the edge of a ravine, his eyes seeking Yukimura's as he fell.

He saw it then, in his lord's eyes. There was nothing, no remorse, and no anxiety, just satisfaction. It broke his heart to see that in his eyes. Saizo put every ounce of the true hurt and betrayal he felt into his final scream, even as the darkness swallowed him.

He didn't see Yukimura's confused frown or the flash of pain in his aqua eyes. He truly thought that his Yukimura-sama would feel nothing over killing him. That he meant that little to his lord. It was only then that the haze of boyish adoration lifted and he saw the Sanada heir as he truly was.

He understood, more clearly than ever, that Yukimura Sanada was a man of ambition; willing to do anything to achieve his goals, even murder his faithful ninja.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

A blazing energy, red as blood, seared his mind's eye as his former mentor exploded with emotion. Akira found himself raising every defensive shield he had in the face of such intense power. He stood, bringing the girl with him and setting her gently on her feet.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Um…yeah." Answered Yuya dumbly, her mind a whirl of thoughts. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Had it been real? Did she want it to be real? Kyo was going to kill her. No, that's not right; Kyo was going to kill _him_.

"I'm sorry, it was a mistake. I, god this is all my fault. Kyo please don't kill him. It was an accident; I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I was being attacked and…um…this guy came out of nowhere and saved me, I don't even know who he is, but please don't kill him ok?"

"Woman."

"Yes Kyo?"

"Shut up and come here."

Yuya cautiously approached the ronin samurai, a flinch in her step. Once she was in arms reach, Kyo grabbed her roughly by the waist and crushed her to the front of his body while he glared at Akira. Yuya gave a startled yelp and grabbed a fistful of Kyo's kimono to keep her balance.

"Kyo. Good to see you again." Said Akira, his voice as cold as winter's kiss.

End part 5


	6. Falter

Cyborg Tears

Samurai Deeper Kyo/Twin Signal crossover

By: Lazeralk

Standard disclaimers apply

Part 6

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Akira."

Yuya looked up in surprise at the harshness in Kyo's voice.

"Kyo? Do you know him?" she asked, trying not to feel the way her body was molded to his.

"Yeah."

"Kyo." Said Akira again, struggling to sound friendly.

"I mean you no harm, and I assure that I have no interest in the girl." He said, taking a step towards the pair.

"Why save her then?" demanded Kyo with a growl, hunching his body down around Yuya's in an attempt to block her from view.

"I want you to return to the old ways with me Kyo. You would not do that if she died. I will protect her in hopes that you will return to the life we had spent so many years building." Said Akira, hating to bare his true motives, yet respecting Kyo enough to do so.

Kyo was silent for a moment; mulling it over and muttering something that sounded like 'fuck off Mibu', before glaring at his former student.

"Hn. Whatever." He drawled, standing up straight and pushing Yuya away from him roughly.

"It's not like I care about her, you can have her if you want. As for going back to the old ways…after I get my body back we'll see what happens." With that, he turned and stalked off in the direction of the inn.

"Kyo!" screeched Yuya, hands balled into fists. "What the hell does that mean, he can't have me! And who said you could just hand me over to random people! Kyo! Are you listening to me!"

"No."

Yuya growled as he disappeared around a corner before huffing and turning back to face her rescuer.

"Um. I uh, thank you for saving me. Sorry about Kyo, he's really rude. Oh! I guess you knew that already huh? Uh…"

Akira smiled at her gently, soothed by her innocent aura.

"You are quite welcome. You know, what I said was true, I will protect you." He said, mentally wincing at his words. Why did he have to sound like such a sap? Even if he was acting, he shouldn't have sounded that foolish.

Yuya was sure she was blushing as red as she could go and was thankful that her current companion was blind.

"Thank you. Um. I'm Yuya, Shina Yuya, yoroshiku onegaishimasu." She gave a bow, then stood up quickly when she remembered that he couldn't see it.

Akira smirked at her actions, having heard the movement of her clothes.

"I'm called Akira. Yoroshiku." He returned, walking to her side and offering her his arm.

"A young lady like you shouldn't be in such a rough part of town. Please allow me to escort you to the market at least Shina-san."

Yuya blushed even harder and took his arm, finding his skin cool to the touch, but not unpleasant.

"Please, call me Yuya." She said with a happy smile, he was after all, so much nicer than Kyo.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Woman, what is all of that?" growled Kyo, looking pointedly at the large bag she carried on her back.

"It's all of our traveling supplies for when we leave town Kyo. I had to get a extra blanket and lots more food as we have another mouth to feed." Answered Yuya, putting the bag down and rubbing her palms on her kimono.

"Another mouth to feed?" Kyo questioned, giving her a blank stare.

"Well yes, Akira-kun has decided to join us. Isn't it wonderful?" she replied happily, smiling brightly.

Kyo glared at her, then got up and stalked out the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked, watching him from the doorway.

"To get more sake. I have the feeling that I'm going to need it."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Saizo sighed as he pressed his back to the cold stone of his prison. He hugged his knees to his chest and gazed sadly into the darkness. He would always love Yukimura, nothing could change that, but he thought perhaps it would be best to stop his pursuit of the Sanada heir. It would kill something inside of him to do it, but he would have to. It was clear that Yukimura would never return his affections.

He dragged himself up the wall and walked dejectedly towards the exit he'd discovered the other day when they'd been planning his 'death'. He sighed, clenched his fists and made up his mind to go on as if nothing had changed, and yet he also refused to hope.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Akira had excused himself, making up something random about something or other to get away from the group. He'd dashed off through the trees and raced towards Mibu castle in search of his 'brother'.

"Hotaru!" he called when he felt his friend's energy and caught the faintly burnt smell that always accompanied him.

"Akira?" answered the fire wielder, turning to face his childhood companion.

"Kyo says that if he gets his body back he'll consider going back to the old ways with us. That is still our goal is it not?"

"Yes, it is. What did you have planned brother mine?" asked Hotaru with a devious smirk, when they were young, it was always Akira that planned their pranks.

Akira smiled at the reminder and began to explain.

"We're going to clear the way for him, we'll take out the rest of the Junishinsho, Shinrei and the others. We'll leave the bitch and his Majesty for Kyo."

"What about Sanada?" asked Hotaru blandly.

"Leave him be. He's not with Mibu to oppose Kyo; he's after something different."

Hotaru considered for a moment before drawing his sword and letting black flames dance along the edge. He smiled, sheathed the blade and then nodded once to Akira.

"Let's do it."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Ya know, this is kinda weird. Mibu hasn't attacked us yet and we're really close to the castle." Said Yuya, smelling a trap and itching for her Neoblazers.

"You're right for once wench. It is quiet." Returned Kyo.

Yuya fumed for a moment before letting it go and dropping behind to walk with Akira. The white haired man smiled at their bickering and turned his attention to the girl walking beside him.

"You're quite observant Yuya-san. We had best be on our guard." He said with a smile. Yuya returned it before a look of pain crossed her face and she collapsed to her knees.

"Yuya-san! Are you alright?" asked Akira as he knelt down to help her up.

Yuya struggled back to her feet, the joints in her legs screaming in protest. She needed maintenance and fast. The metal inside her legs was beginning to rust over from not being oiled properly for so long. She grimaced with pain and leaned on Akira heavily, hands fisted in the collar of his kimono.

"Keep moving. I have to keep going or my legs will freeze up." She said between gasps.

"You didn't get rid of that poison, did you Yuya-han?" asked Benitora, gazing at her in a near panic.

"I, uh…" said Yuya, mentally jumping for joy that she had an excuse that didn't include being a cyborg.

"I need to get to hot water so I can take my medicine." She lied, groping for the tiny bottle of oil she had for emergencies.

Kyo sighed but changed course, drawing on Kyoshiro's memories of the grounds to find a secluded hot spring. Akira followed close behind Kyo; Yuya curled in his arms to allow for quicker movement.

The slayer of a thousand men stoically ignored them both, telling himself that he couldn't kill his student for carrying the wench because if he did that then he'd have to carry the girl himself and that would destroy his image.

-Absolutely, wouldn't want to tarnish your fearsome reputation now would we lover-boy? –

-When I get my body back, I'm going to torture you for weeks before I kill you Mibu. –

"Here. Be quick about it." Growled Kyo, pushing aside a tree branch to reveal the small spring.

Akira placed her gently beside the water and then turned to escort the men back towards the path they'd been following, assuming that she intended to bathe.

Yuya watched them go before stripping out of her kimono, carefully wrapping the revolver in her obi. Now only in her white leotard, she sent the mental command to open her legs up. Lines cut their way down her skin, hot air rushed out of the openings as the layers of fake flesh and MIRA plating moved aside to show the inner workings of her prosthetic limbs.

Using the oil as sparingly as she could, she applied the slick fluid to her knee joints and the pistons that connected to the backs of her ankles. She did only the elbow joints of her arms before sealing her legs back up and re-dressing herself. She gingerly tested the joints and found that they moved better, not perfectly, but better.

She hiked her combat program up to level two and then paused as she looked at the pitiful revolver in her hands. After considering where she was going, she switched the revolver for a Neoblazer and tucked the new gun into her obi. She wasn't going to take any chances.

She took a cleansing breath and then marched back out to the path, cheerily greeting the men who were waiting for her.

"Welcome back Yuya-san! Are you feeling better now?" asked Akira.

"Yuya-han! Don't worry me like that! Are you ok?" sobbed Benitora as he attached himself to her.

"Benitora! Let go!" laughed Yuya, giggling joyfully.

"I'm fine now, really. Sorry to have worried you."

Kyo hadn't said anything, but he'd smiled just a little before leading his rag-tag bunch of misfits back towards Mibu castle.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

End Part 6


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